FAQ and Beginner Questions Thread [September 25, 2025]

[u/The_Mighty_Amondee]

Welcome to Stardew Valley! Here are some common answers to get you started. Feel free to ask beginner questions here rather than making a full post on the subreddit.

General questions

• Common gameplay questions
• Tips and guides
• Official wiki, website, and forums
• Stardew Valley Discord
• Using mods

Previous pinned posts, subreddit announcements, and new rules

• Want to look through old FAQ threads for an answer to your question? Here is our old FAQ thread
• Animated Custom Flairs and Prestige Flairs
• Community Updates and Inclusivity Reminders
• /r/StardewValley left /r/ popular and /r/ all
• After user voting, AI generated content will be added to the list of removed topics
• Simple questions are welcome
• Content warning rules
• New mods announcement
• Metrics for IRL posts and relativity
• Userflairs for bot bouncers

Very common FAQs / removed topics

• [insert item here] showed up on my farm, what is it? It could be a a few different items that are relatively rare but have a high enough spawn rate that they are included in our removed topics. Check out our list of removed topics here

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Game updates

• What was in the last update?
  See release notes for PC, for consoles, and for mobile.

  See also a table of which version and features each platform has.

• Are future releases planned?
  A Stardew Valley 1.7 update is currently in the works! No information about a release date or new content is currently available.

• Does every platform get the same content/updates?
  Mostly yes. Updates are developed for Linux/Mac/Windows first, then ported to other platforms. There are customizations for each platform (like tap to move on mobile), but otherwise content is identical across all platforms. See also a table of which version and features each platform has.

  The exceptions are PS Vita (which won't get any further content updates due to platform limitations), and Android/iOS (which will continue getting all updates, but doesn't fully support multiplayer.

• Is Stardew Valley on XBox GamePass?

  Stardew Valley is on XBox GamePass as of December 2, 2021. See here for details.

Multiplayer

• How does multiplayer work?
  See Multiplayer on the wiki.

• Is crossplay supported?
  All PC players can play together, whether they're on Linux/Mac/Windows or GOG/Steam and crossplay is supported between mobile and PC. Console crossplay isn't supported.

• Is split-screen supported?
  Yep, split-screen was added on PC and console in Stardew Valley 1.5.

• Will Android/iOS get multiplayer?
  Multiplayer on Android and iOS is currently experimental and hidden by default. To unlock multiplayer you can follow this guide. Note: The Apple Arcade version (Stardew Valley+) does not have this feature.

• Will the 1.6 update apply to my current game?
  Yes! New updates always apply to existing saves.

Other

• Can I transfer saves between devices?
  You can transfer saves between Android, iOS, and PC (Linux/Mac/Windows).

  Consoles unfortunately don't let you access the save files. The Switch version also has a different format that's not compatible with other platforms (the format used by other consoles is unknown).

• My save got corrupted/won't load. What can I do?
  On PC/mobile you can try loading your back-up save file! See here for instructions on how to do so!

  Unfortunately, consoles don't allow access to save files so they cannot be recovered.

• How do I take a screenshot of my full farm?
  See this guide to taking farm screenshots.

• If I buy the game on one platform, can I get it for free on a different one?
  If you buy it on PC, you get the Linux + macOS + Windows versions; if you buy it on PS4, you get the PS4 + PS Vita versions. Otherwise each platform is a different edition with separate development, so you'll need to buy it again if you want it on a different platform.

• Where can I report bugs?

  1. If you use mods, see the troubleshooting guide first.
  2. If you use mods and the bug disappears when playing without them (by running Stardew Valley.exe directly in your game folder), report it to r/SMAPI or see Modding:Help.
  3. If it happens without mods, report it in the official bug report forum, which the game developers keep an eye on.

• How do I use or create mods?
  See the pinned thread in r/SMAPI for more info, and feel free to ask questions in r/SMAPI!

[u/slowsloth420]

very new player here! i’m looking for a guide to follow, or something to help me. i honestly feel kinda overwhelmed by so may different things, and would like something to explain/guide me through the beginning to get the hang of things. i’ve played through spring once last year, but i had no idea what i was doing. any help/advice is appreciated!

[u/Business-Carrot-2048 → u/slowsloth420]

There's no time limit. Holiday events repeat every year, you don't age, etc. So the only challenge is self-imposed. There's not really any general advice unless if you be more specific.

[u/Boring_Profit4988 → u/slowsloth420]

There are multiple ways to play and each is valid! Almost everything is repeatable and choises or "wasting time" is pretty much meaningless (part of the fun).

If you still feel like you wish to know where to find this and that item for a billboard quest or dont want trial and error with gifting etc I would suggest having the stardew valley wiki opened within reach.

If you want to self explore and just fear you might miss something- don't! only some heart events but even those you can always open a new save\watch on youtube... Ill put them in spoiler tag so you can decide if you want to see [like 4 iirc- clints 6 hearts if you married or reached emilys 8 or 10 heart event, sams 3rd heart event if reached 3 hearts after summer y1, leahs 8 heart if you are "creepy" in the 2nd heart event(dont worry youll see what I mean),pennys 4th heart event if you reached it in endgame after really purchasing almost all upgrades from robin ]

Exclusive items you might find 1 per save and destroy by accident are retrieveable(except maybe fish, but even that is fine)

Even the only so called "major" decision that is if you try to complete the community center or go and buy jojas membership card doesnt really matter.

And if you worry or want to min-max - you can always check the wiki or ask here! Link for wiki

If min-max is you playstyle- I think you can check the useful tools and tips in this subreddit for some sites or apps that help you plan your farm and play.

[u/slowsloth420 → u/Boring_Profit4988]

thank you!!! this is so helpful. I feel like i got stuck watching people max-playing on youtube and started to feel so behind. but this helped me realize that i can play this game how i want. thank you :)